Paseda Vows to Return Awo’s Free Education Policy in Ogun

A leading governorship candidate in Ogun state, Prince Rotimi Paseda, has vowed to reintroduce the free education policy of the late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, if elected as governor in 2019.

Paseda stated this on Sunday at the prize-giving ceremony of Quiz945, a radio quiz programme on Paramount F.M in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

He maintained that education remains the best legacy that could be handed over to any child.

According to him, “we will be bringing back the good old days of Awolowo. Education is going to be completely free and we are going to fund our education system.

“We are going to train our teachers and expose them to what is happening abroad.

“My priority is education and that is why I am in politics. There is also health but I am going to invest heavily in education. It is an indirect social security.

“From a business perspective, you are supposed to run a state properly as if it is a business. It is a corporate entity. I intend to address the anomaly. It is a terrible thing”, Paseda averred.

The governorship hopeful also promised to expose teachers in the state-owned schools to best international practice.

“We need to invest heavily in the career development of our teachers. A lot of them have the potentials but they have not been exposed.

Paseda lamented the proliferation of private schools due to the neglect of public educational institutions by successive governments.

“Private education should be out of choice and not out of necessity as we have now.

“The biggest legacy you can give your child is education and if you know that the public school is not providing that kind of support, then you take your children to private school.

“What I will do when I get into the office as the governor in 2019 is to keep my promise by providing free all-inclusive for the children”, he added.

The general manager of Paramount F.M, Alhaji Adeniyi Odekunle, encouraged the children to be thankful to their parents.

He described the root of education as bitter but said the fruit is sweet.